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All posts for the month July, 2011

I am currently reading the book Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. You can watch the book trailer here.

As of writing this post, I am almost finished with my eighth week of the Four Hour Body plan. I extremely enjoy it. I thought at first that it would be difficult but now it is such a part of my daily routine that I have realized it was a little easier to implement than I first thought.

I enjoy getting to eat all different kinds of proteins. I especially like chicken, steak, and pork chops. I like the fact also that vegetables and salads are unlimited on this plan. I thought that I would miss things like bread and processed foods and refined sugars but the truth is, I have done fine without them.

The only issue I have so far is cheat day. Ferriss says in his book that he “binge eats” on cheat day consuming between 5000 and 6000 calories on that one day. I have not yet been able to even come close because I cannot wrap my mind around the thought that eating that many calories in one day is something that is ok.

I have so far lost around 12 inches. I have been measured every week since I started this plan. Not pounds…inches. I have noticed the change and am now able to be wearing some clothes that I have not worn in a couple years.

The main reason I decided to try the Four Hour Body plan is because I am hoping to have my doctor take me off of blood pressure medicine before my 37th birthday. I have been on blood pressure so long, the scary thing is I am not sure how long because I can’t remember when I started.

I believe that I will accomplish this goal. I am learning that by eating cleaner, my body does not crave the foods that it once did. Eating cleaner also has made me realize that when I eat food that is not as good for you, it makes me feels sick. In fact, the other night I ate Chinese food and felt a little nauseous after eating an egg roll. I do not crave bread or potatoes and those were my “drugs” of choice. They were my go-to foods and now I only eat them on cheat day if I eat them at all. The funny thing is, I am fine with it.

I will continue to post updates as my deadline draws nearer and nearer.

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From time to time I will post letters to the church on this blog. This is the first one.

I would like to recommend some books for you that would be a good starting place as you grow in your sanctification process. This books will challenge you and provoke you to become more conformed to the image of Christ.

This list contains 20 books.

Desiring God by John Piper

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

Radical by David Platt

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoffer

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney

Scouting The Divine by Margaret Feinberg

Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll

The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman

Primal by Mark Batterson

Doctrine by Mark Driscoll

Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer

What Is A Healthy Church by Mark Dever

Think by John Piper

Essential Church by Thom Rainer

The Pleasures of God by John Piper

Spiritual Warfare and Missions by Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer

Tortured For Christ by Richard Wurmbrand

The Disappearance of God by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

I hope that as you read and study that you become more intentional with how you live and that you become passionate about your relationship with Christ. The gospel is not only what saves you but the gospel is what sustains you in this life. Be encouraged and know that you do not fight your spiritual battles alone.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. Colossians 2:6

vs.29-31 David is accurately pointing to Jesus. Jesus never went to hell. Jesus’ body never saw decay. Jesus did RISE from the dead.

vs.32-41 The Holy Spirit was poured out. The Holy Spirit’s presence must have felt like a tsunami or a tidal wave. David’s body is still in a tomb. David did not bodily ascend into heaven. One day his body will reunite with his spirit and he will have his glorified body as will all Christians.

Jesus is currently sitting at the right hand of God. He remains there until he comes back to lay the final smackdown on evil, sin, the devil and all those who have rejected him as the sole provider of salvation.

Jesus whom you crucified. Peter hits right in the soul to remind these people that they along with the help of the Romans crucified Jesus. OUR sin is what nailed Jesus to the cross.

Baptism is not a condition of salvation. Repentance is. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality. Your old self is buried and you are raised to walk in a life of joy and obedience to Christ while guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Church – 3000 people were saved

Louie Giglio talked a little about this church in a sermon that I heard him preach. This is my paraphrase.

The church in Acts 2 did not know they were the Acts 2 church. All the church had were

leaders that were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection

leaders who were passionate about Jesus

The teachings of Jesus

The Holy Spirit

The church did not have padded pews or chairs, air conditioning, flat screen monitors, smoke machines, light displays, electrical instruments, or anything else that the church today seems to depend on for a church service. Those things are nice to have but not really necessary to have a church service.

What does the church today have?

not eyewitnesses to the resurrection but leaders who have experienced the power of Jesus’ resurrection in their lives

leaders who are passionate about Jesus

The whole of Scripture

The Holy Spirit

We have the SAME Holy Spirit. We do not have a hand-me-down, Goodwill, Dollar Store clearance item version of the Holy Spirit. We have the SAME Holy Spirit.